About | Breaking Alpha

Founder

Andrew Cook

Breaking Alpha was founded by Andrew Cook, a quantitative strategist and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of technology, finance, and institutional investing. Andrew works with investors, private equity groups, and hedge funds around the world, focusing on increasing fund profitability through algorithmic trading systems, portfolio optimization, and strategic consulting.

Previously, Andrew founded Cook Investment Firm in 2010, establishing the first institutional cryptocurrency hedge fund. Managing over 350,000 Bitcoin with 34% average annual returns, the firm pioneered institutional-grade crypto investing before the asset class achieved mainstream recognition. In 2016, he founded Five23, a data analytics and AI company that was successfully acquired by Sqreem Technologies in 2024, with a partial sale to Palantir.

His approach bridges quantitative analysis with practical market execution, helping institutional clients navigate complex financial markets while maintaining disciplined risk management and consistent returns. Beyond trading, Andrew advises a diverse portfolio of startups and established technology companies on growth strategy, financials, and operations.

Andrew's philosophy centers on the belief that the best trading algorithms are not the most complex, but the most disciplined. Every strategy developed under Breaking Alpha undergoes rigorous validation against real market conditions, extensive stress testing, and continuous refinement based on live performance data.

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Quality Assurance

ISO 9000:2005 Certified Development

Every algorithm is developed using internationally recognized quality management standards, ensuring consistent, reliable, and auditable processes from conception to deployment.

ISO 9000:2005 Certified Quality Management Systems

1Requirements Analysis

Every algorithm begins with comprehensive requirements documentation that defines performance objectives, risk parameters, market scope, and operational constraints.

Formal specification of strategy objectives
Risk tolerance and drawdown limits
Target markets and asset classes
Infrastructure and execution requirements

2Design & Development

Systematic development following documented procedures with version control, peer review, and comprehensive testing at each stage.

Formal design documentation
Code review and quality gates
Unit testing and integration testing
Configuration management

3Verification & Validation

Multi-stage testing protocol including historical backtesting, out-of-sample validation, paper trading, and controlled live deployment.

In-sample and out-of-sample backtesting
Walk-forward optimization
Monte Carlo stress testing
Minimum 3-month live trading validation

4Documentation & Traceability

Complete audit trail from concept to production, enabling full traceability of all design decisions, test results, and performance records.

Complete transaction history
Decision rationale documentation
Change control records
Performance attribution analysis

5Continuous Improvement

Ongoing monitoring and systematic refinement based on live performance data, market evolution, and emerging best practices.

Real-time performance monitoring
Periodic strategy review cycles
Corrective action protocols
Market regime adaptation

6Risk Management Integration

Embedded risk controls at every level, from position sizing to portfolio-level constraints, with independent verification.

Multi-layer risk control architecture
Independent risk verification
Automated circuit breakers
Regulatory compliance validation

Quality Philosophy

Why ISO Certification Matters

In an industry plagued by overfitting, curve-fitted backtests, and untested strategies, ISO-certified development provides the institutional confidence that separates sustainable performance from lucky streaks.

Reproducible Results

ISO standards require documented, repeatable processes. Every algorithm can be audited, verified, and reproduced by independent parties—eliminating the "black box" uncertainty that plagues most algorithmic providers.

Institutional Due Diligence

Hedge funds, family offices, and institutional investors require rigorous due diligence. ISO certification provides the documentation, audit trails, and quality assurance frameworks that institutional compliance demands.

Risk Mitigation

Systematic quality management identifies and addresses risks before they impact performance. From data quality to execution logic, every component undergoes formal verification and validation.

Continuous Improvement

ISO isn't a one-time certification—it's a commitment to ongoing refinement. Breaking Alpha continuously improves methodologies, incorporating lessons learned and evolving best practices.

About Breaking Alpha